Not Alone
by FirstFandomFangirl
Summary: A series of one-shots centering around Lloyd's recovery after the events of Season 5. Not Greenflame, not Mosshipping, not whatever Lloyd and Zane and Lloyd and Jay are. No shipping whatsoever.
1. Kai

**Wow, I'm taking a break from writing the fanfictions I'm SUPPOSED to be writing to write ones I'm NOT. Nice.**

* * *

"I'll be fine," Lloyd insisted as Kai half-carried him into the ninja's shared bedroom. "I'm just tired."

"And cold, and wet." the fire ninja shook his head, lowering his brother onto the edge of Cole's bed. "You just got pushed in a river. And besides, I can't even guess how little rest you must have gotten over the past few days."

"Not much," the blond boy admitted, letting Kai push him down on the pillow. "But that doesn't mean I need any sort of special treatment."

"Yes it does." the red ninja folded his arms. "Get some sleep. You're not leaving this room until you're all rested up."

"Fine," Lloyd relented, closing his eyes as his head sank into the pillow. After a moment, he heard Kai's footsteps as his brother walked away from the bed, then the soft click of the door being pulled shut. He was alone. Completely alone. The green ninja opened his eyes again, lifting his hands up into his line of sight. His hands. Not controlled by Morro. Lloyd closed his eyes, his body tensing involuntarily as he remembered the constant insults and taunts he had endured over the past few days, to say nothing of the exhaustion. His entire body ached from Morro using him for hours past his limits, and his head pounded from trying to fight the ghost from the moment he had first been possessed. He hadn't been... _overly_ cruel to him, at least. He insulted him, kept him in a cage, and, obviously, used his body for nefarious purposes, but he hadn't beaten or starved him. That was probably just because he had to use his body, though. He didn't want to damage his best vessel. Lloyd rolled onto his side, moaning softly as he tried to get his body in a position that was comfortable enough to sleep in. As much as he insisted he was fine, he was exhausted from everything that had happened in the last hour. He seriously needed sleep. Closing his eyes, the green ninja slowed his breathing until his senses dulled and he dropped off to sleep.

 _Green lights, ghoulish screams, his heart pounding in his chest as he ran. He risked a glance over his shoulder, and what he saw only made him run faster. He was catching up. No matter how fast he ran, he couldn't escape him. Something appeared in front of his foot and he tripped, crashing forward onto the uneven ground. Even as he struggled onto his knees, trying to get back up, he knew it was too late. Cold, rough hands gripped his shoulders, yanking him to his feet and holding him in place. Struggling, he turned to face the hands' owner and came face-to-face with his worst nightmare._

 _Morro._

Lloyd awoke with a scream, his body drenched in cold sweat. His heart pounded painfully hard in his chest as his eyes darted around the pitch-black room, trying to find something, anything, to focus on. Nothing. His breathing panicked, the green ninja charged an orb of green light in his palm, lighting up the room with soft, green light. The other ninja were in their beds, fast asleep. He was safe. Morro couldn't get his hands on him here. Unfortunately, the thought did little to comfort him, and he sat up, pulling his knees to his chest as he held up the light in his hand. Zane was on the bed on the floor, he noticed vaguely. Cole must be in Zane's bunk, then. Something moved in the corner of his eye and he spun to face it, only to see the curtains disturbed by the wind outside. He was being silly. Nothing was going to hurt him. Suddenly, Kai shifted on the bunk above him and swung his legs over the side, sliding off the bed and landing on the floor without a sound.

"Hey, are you okay?" the fire ninja asked in concern, taking in his brother's defensive position. "Your scream woke me up. What's wrong?"

"...n-nothing... I'm fine." Lloyd's voice wavered and he swallowed, trying to get rid of the lump in his throat. "I j-just had a bad dream. Th-that's all."

"Was it about Morro?" the blond boy nodded, not trusting himself to speak as tears began to well up in his eyes. "You're safe now, okay? He can't get to you. There's nothing to be afraid of." Kai tried to console him, reaching out to touch his shoulder.

"I kn-know!" Lloyd stuttered, closing his eyes as his tears began to flow down his face. "I-I know I-I'm n-not supposed t-to be scared... I-I'm the green ninja, I-I'm supposed t-to be brave..."

"Hey, it's okay." the red ninja edged closer, pulling Lloyd into a hug. "Everyone's scared sometimes. It's not your fault."

"...b-but I'm not s-supposed to be scared f-for myself... I-I'm supposed to be selfless and brave..." the blond boy sniffled, resting his head on Kai's shoulder. "...m-maybe Morro should h-have b-been the green ninja a-after all..."

"Don't say that." the older ninja said firmly. "Just the fact that you're having nightmares about him should be enough to tell you that there is _no way_ he's fit to be the green ninja. He doesn't care about others, only himself. You _are_ selfless and brave, and that's why _you're_ the only one fit to hold the title of the Green Ninja." Lloyd was silent as he absorbed his brother's words, trying to decide if they were true or not. Morro WAS evil... but was that only BECAUSE he wasn't the green ninja? Oh, it didn't matter.

"...thank y-you..." the blond boy whispered, snuggling into Kai's arms.

"No problem." the older ninja murmured. "Like I promised, I'm going to look after you in your dad's place."

"...I r-really miss him..." Lloyd mumbled, letting the light in his hand go out. He wasn't really scared anymore. Just sad.

"Well, once we beat Morro and get the Realm Crystal, maybe we can get him back." Kai suggested.

"...y-you mean... _if_ we beat him." the blond boy frowned.

"No, I mean _when._ We've never lost to an evil person trying to take over Ninjago before, right?" Something about that logic wasn't quite right, but he couldn't put his finger on it. "Can't argue with that, can you?"

"I g-guess not." Lloyd cracked a faint smile as Kai pulled him closer. "...thanks..."

"Do you want me to stay with you?" the fire ninja asked softly, apparently sensing the exhaustion that washed over Lloyd once again.  
"Mm-hmm." the blond boy nodded and Kai loosened his grip on him, shifting into a more comfortable position before hugging his brother tight again.

"Sweet dreams, Lloyd." Was the last thing the green ninja heard before his eyes fluttered shut and he knew no more.

* * *

 **That was short.**

 **I'll probably continue this bc Lloyd fluff is cute, but with the other ninja. idk leave some feedback or something if you want. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ See ya around!**

 **~FFF**


	2. Nya

**Wow, a Father's Day oneshot without Garmadon in it. ...or any fathers at all. NOT MY FAULT.**

 **Seriously, I started writing this with a clear idea of what was going to happen, and then it went in a totally different direction**. **Again, wow.**

 **Review replies:**

 **KRR: I was curious, so thanks. ^ ^**

 **AveXCninja11: Glad you like it. :D**

 **Jayden: I plan to. ;)**

 **NurseMedusa: xD Exactly.**

 **Angel Star Ninja: I listened to it. Now I'm listening to it on a loop and have been for half an hour. It does fit that (and probably this) one-shot really well! ^u^ Nya kinda took over this one-shot, so... here ya go!**

 **Samantha: There's more now! :D**

 **TheMayorOfNinjagoCity: Oh my ghost, I know. Seriously Nya, watch what you're doing! lol.**

 **By special request, Nya!**

* * *

Lloyd stared out the window silently from where he sat on Cole's bed, listlessly watching the clouds float by. He could hear the other ninja from where they were talking and laughing on the deck, enjoying the warm weather. Lloyd hadn't joined them. He wanted to be alone. It was the third Sunday of June. Father's Day. Obviously, he wasn't celebrating it. His father had been gone for a while, and now he was dead. Mom and Uncle had urged him to think of the good times he spent with his father, instead of continuing to mourn his death, but thinking of the times they had together only made him miss him more. Why did his have to give himself up? Sometimes he thought that living in a world ruled by Chen would be better than his father being gone. Now was one of those times. Lloyd felt tears welling up in his eyes and sniffled, brushing them away with his sleeve. He hated his life. If only Morro really had been the green ninja. Then he could just live somewhere with his parents like a normal kid. Let someone else take care of Ninjago.

"Hey Lloyd, are you okay?" the blond boy looked up to see Nya standing in the doorway of his room, watching him with a worried look on her face.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine." he rubbed his eyes again, hoping it wasn't too obvious that he'd been crying. " I-I just miss my dad."

"I know how you feel." Nya walked over, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Father's Day was really hard for me and Kai for years after our father's death. It's gotten easier as the years pass, but the pain never really goes away."

"That's what I was afraid of..." Lloyd muttered, letting his shoulders slump as he closed his eyes.  
"Don't you want to come out on the deck?" Nya asked. "The sunset's really pretty."

"I don't wanna be around the others." the green ninja mumbled.

"Why not?"

"I don't know. I just wanna be alone."

"Should I leave?"  
"No... I... I'd rather you stay."

"Oh Lloyd, I'm so sorry!" Abruptly, the water ninja hugged him tightly, catching him off guard. After a moment's hesitation, he hugged her back, his eyes filling with tears once again. "You don't deserve everything that's happened to you. You're still just a kid."

"...th-thanks Nya..." Lloyd whispered, shaking slightly as he buried his face in her shoulder. She hummed softly in reply, and they were silent for a few minutes as he cried on her shoulder.

"Why do you avoid us when you're sad?" she asked quietly after a while. "Don't you think we can help?"

"...I... I guess you can... I just..." the blond boy trailed off.

"Just what?" Nya prodded gently.

"I... I don't want everyone to s-see me b-break down." he mumbled into her shoulder. "I-I'm s-supposed to be b-brave and strong. I-I don't want them all to see m-me cry."

"Lloyd, none of them would think any less of you if you cried in front of them." the black-haired girl assured him. "You've been through far more than any of us have. You're only human, after all. I know I don't."

"...thanks..." he whispered again. Nya tightened her grip on him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Ka told me he promised to take care of you." She murmured.

"Yeah... I guess he's k-kinda my dad now, huh?" Lloyd smiled weakly."„...he can't replace my real dad, though..."

"I know." Nya sighed."I said I knew how you feel, but I really don't. I don't even remember my dad that well, I was so young when he passed. You must be hurting more than I even was." Lloyd didn't answer except to nod slightly against her shoulder as a fresh onslaught of tears streamed down his face. "Your father was a great man, Lloyd. I miss him too." That wasn't much comfort, though he was glad he wasn't the only one who missed him. For a long time, they were both silent, enjoying each others' company, before Nya finally pulled away. "It's getting late." She said quietly as the blond boy tried to calm his erratic breathing. "The guys will be coming to bed soon."

"Yeah." Lloyd nodded, sniffling. "Th-thanks again, Nya..."

"No problem." She smiled, ruffling his hair."

"Hey!" he pushed her away, a small smile lighting up his face. "No one messes up my hair!"

"Is that, like, an inside joke? Because Kai keeps saying it too." Nya put her hands on her hips as she returned his smile.

"I guess." Lloyd stood up from Cole's bunk, moving over to his bed on the floor. "...I-I'm going to try to get some sleep."

"Go ahead." The water ninja gave him a comforting smile as she left the room and closed the door behind her. Lloyd lay down on his pillow, pulling his thin blanket over him as he closed his eyes. Nya was right. He shouldn't shut the others out when he was upset. It would only make it worse. As the sun went down outside, Lloyd drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 **Again, I can't believe I wrote a Father's Day oneshot without Garmadon in it. :/ I blame Nya.**

 **~FFF**


	3. Ninja

**Wassup peeps**

 **Thank you to everyone who wished me a happy birthday yesterday. ^ ^ I did have a happy birthday, despite my 2-year-old sister gashing her head open and having to go to the hospital. :/ She's fine now btw. But, since my mom had to drive her there, I didn't get to eat cake or get presents until today. :P Oh well. I DID, however, get the Bansha and Garmadon minifigures I asked for! So that's nice. ^u^**

 **Review replies:**

 **KRR: Seriously, Jay? One of the members of your team is a ghost. I'd think you'd be used to them by now. xD**

 **AveXCninja11: Thanks! I'm glad you liked it. ^ ^**

 **Angel Star Ninja: Baby goats in sweaters? That makes me think of Undertale...**

 **Samantha: Okie dok.**

 **SongFanatic: I've heard that song, and I love it! :D Thanks for the prompt, that's what I wrote. ^ ^ I couldn't get Nya in, unfortunately, though I would have liked to. :P**

 **The Mayor of Ninjago City: Yep. ^ ^**

 **Bob: Heeeey, are you the same Bob who used to review regularly on my other fanfiction?**

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Chapter 3 – Ninja

Lloyd fingered the sash on his father's gi, staring down at the floor of his room as he replayed the last few hours in his head. Morro was dead. But so was his father. He wasn't sure whether to mourn of be relieved. He had put up a brave front in front of the others, but inside he was struggling to keep his emotions under control. The other ninja seemed to be as cheerful as ever, chatting and laughing with each other in their beds a few feet away. It was night now, and Uncle Wu had sent them off to bed to get some sleep. The other ninja were too wound up to sleep, however, and were chattering excitedly about the other realms. Lloyd hadn't joined in, despite their begging to hear about what the other realms were like. Just thinking about the realms made him think of the Cursed Realm – and his father's last words to him.

 _"Hurry, and leave this place before it is too late." His father urged him as he adjusted the sleeves on his father's slightly-oversized robe. "You can get back to Ninjago through the portal the ghosts are passing through. But hurry, the others will need your help."_

 _"I'll do my best." Lloyd gave him a wavering smile before turning and running back up the slope towards the exit._

 _"Lloyd!" he skidded to a stop at the sound of his father's voice and turned around to look at the older man. His father smiled, almost sadly. "I love you."_

 _"I love you too, Dad."_

Lloyd sniffled softly, blinking rapidly as tears began to well up in his eyes. It was dark enough so that the others couldn't see him. Maybe they wouldn't notice him crying. The blond boy covered his face with his hands as tears began to trail down his cheeks. He was never going to see his dad again, was he? He was gone forever. The tears came faster and he couldn't hold back a soft sob. He tried to muffle it with his sleeve, but evidently it didn't work as the other ninja instantly fell silent. He held his breath for a few moments as the room was silent, hoping they would ignore him and go back to talking.

"Lloyd?" Cole spoke up after a few moments. "You okay?" Lloyd was silent. He knew that if he tried to speak, his voice would crack and give him away.

"Lloyd?" Jay repeated, his voice worried.

"Is he asleep?" Kai asked. In reply, Zane's eyes lit up, illuminating the room with soft, blue light and revealing the green ninja sitting upright on his bed, shaking as he hid his face in his hands. Instantly, Lloyd heard shuffling and thumping as the other four hopped out of bed, and, a moment later, Cole's ghostly hand rested on his shoulder.

"Lloyd, what's wrong?" the earth ninja asked in concern.

"…n-nothing…" the blond boy stuttered, not uncovering his face. "I-I'm f-fine…"

"Clearly, you're not." Zane knelt down on his other side, putting his hand on Lloyd's other shoulder and squeezing gently. "I sense that you are distraught. What is troubling you?"

"I-It's just…" the green ninja sniffled, lowering his hands slightly to look at the other ninja. Zane's eyes were still lit up so they could see him, so it was hard to look at him. Kai and Jay were sitting right in front of him while Cole was on his left, and all three of them were staring at him in concern.

"Just what?" Kai prodded gently as Lloyd covered his eyes again, their unrelenting gazes making him uncomfortable.

"…m-my dad's d-dead…" he whispered faintly. "…I m-miss h-him…"

"Oh…" Zane's hand left his shoulder then, a moment later, the nindroid's arms wrapped around him in a gentle embrace. Despite the fact that he was made of cold titanium, the hug was still a comfort, and Lloyd lowered his hands from his face as he leaned into Zane's grasp. "I know what it's like to lose your father. I lost my twice." The ice master murmured, letting his eyes dim. Then Cole hugged him from the other side, resting his head on the green ninja's shoulder.

"I've never lost a parent, but I know what's like to lose someone you love." The ghost said softly.

"So do I." Jay moved closer and hugged him through Cole, and Kai followed suit, enveloping the distraught ninja inside a bubble of warmth and protection.

"I know exactly how you feel." Kai whispered into his ear. "I lost both my parents when I was just a little younger than you."  
"…I-I g-guess you're worse off th-than me, huh?" Lloyd whispered faintly. "I-I s-still have m-my mom and uncle…"

"What? No! I'm not saying I'm worse off." Kai shook his head, tightening his arms around him. "I'm just saying I know how… lost you must feel. When our parents passed, Nya and I had to take care of each other. I hope you'll let us do the same for you."

"...o-okay…" Lloyd sniffled, leaning forward and resting his head on Jay's shoulder. He was a little embarrassed that the others had caught him crying, but at the same time he was glad they had. If they had ignored him and gone to sleep, he would be sobbing into his hands, alone, right now. And that, compared to the other ninja comforting him gently like they were right now, was a frightening alternative. Lloyd stayed there, wrapped in his brothers' arms, for what seemed like hours, trying to calm his uneven breathing and keep more tears from trickling down his face. Cole fell asleep on his shoulder after a while. He didn't mind. Finally, Zane broke the silence.

"Do you want to go to sleep, Lloyd?"

"Um… y-yeah… b-but I also wanna stay w-with you guys…"

"Alright. We can stay with you until you fall asleep." Zane shifted the younger ninja so he was leaning heavily on Jay. He was warm. Warm and soft. Lloyd relaxed on the blue ninja's shoulder, smiling as he felt Kai smooth down his hair. He hadn't smiled in a while. He hadn't had a reason to. Until now, that is. Now he was surrounded by his four best friends in the world, who sacrificed their own sleep to comfort him and make him feel better. He remembered back when he lived in Darkley's Boarding School, he never had any friends like this. Brad was the only one he ever sort of has as a friend, and they weren't that close. He loved his brothers so much. Closing his eyes, Lloyd let his breathing slow, and he soon dropped off to sleep.

* * *

 **So while I was writing this I randomly got the idea to write a oneshot about the day Lloyd moved into Darkley's, which I did, so expect that to probably be posted today. ;D Hope you enjoyed!**

 **~FFF**


	4. Jay

**So, no one requested Jay, but I had an idea for him, so I wrote it. :0**

 **Review replies:**

 **LabRatFlutieKat: I have lots of practice in writing Lloyd angst, trust me... xD**

 **BriarDiez: Glad you enjoyed it! :D**

 **KRR: Man, you have a lot of OCs... xD Their names are confusing. A lot of the boys have traditionally feminine names, so it's hard to tell them apart. It's very creative, though. I like it. ^ ^ Yes, I'm on summer break. I think I'm starting school again early/mid August.**

 **strange and proud of it: thanks**

 **Angel Star Ninja: Undertale is a game that's pretty popular right now. One of the characters is a cute goat child who wears a green and yellow sweater. I definitely recommend it if you're looking for a cool game to play, it's really fun and only $10. :D**

 **Bob: aHA! I found you! I wondered where you went. Thanks! ^v^**

 **SongFanatic: I'll listen to that as soon as I can get YouTube to work. ^ ^' Sure! I have actually been thinking about roughly the same thing. I think? Maybe I started thinking about it after you mentioned it, idk I have a terrible memory. xD**

 **The Pink Ninja: Glad you enjoyed this! Are you writing your stories in script format? Because I think it's technically against site rules... if you want, you could write the chapters in script format and send them to me via the beta-reader function, and I could edit them into story form for you. c: Join the club of people who dislike yaoi and yuri ships! We have cookies~ Seriously tho, I can't believe some of those ships. I mean, people like yaoi, it's "hot" and whatever, but, shipping the characters with their parents? Who even likes that?! Oy. Garsako is my OTP... ^v^ *silently freaks out about hashtags***

 **why can't I write short review replies oy**

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Not Alone – Jay

Jay lifted his head from his pillow, glancing around his dark bedroom before looking at the clock. 12:02 AM. Yikes. His insomnia was really bad tonight. Well, lying in bed doing nothing wasn't going to help him get to sleep any faster. Silently, he hopped out of his bed and landing on the wooden floor without a sound. After glancing around to make sure he hadn't woken anyone up, the blue ninja slipped out of his room and into the hall. At least no one would be up, since it was so late. What better to do at such an early hour than play video games? Sneaking into the living room, Jay turned on his NJG-BOX and started up hid new game, _Attack of the Zurgons_. It was a fast-paced RPG about a race of aliens that were trying to take over Ninjago. The plot was kinda cheesy, and the gameplay was fun, but _man_ , the graphics were _awesome_. If only he could save up enough money for the NJG-BOX-3D. Then he could buy the next game in the serious, _Attack of the Zurgons II_. He wondered what the graphics on that one were like. After playing for a few minutes, he was startled by a creaking floorboard and turned around to see Lloyd, rubbing his eyes sleepily as he entered the room.

"Jay?" he mumbled, blinking in the light from the TV. "Why are you up so late?"

"Couldn't sleep." The blue ninja shrugged, pausing his game. "Figured I'd play video games. Wanna join me?"

"Uh… I guess. Now that I'm up, it'll be hard to get back to sleep." The blond boy nodded, walking over and sitting down next to him on the couch. "How do you play?"

"Here." Jay handed him a second controller as he explained the controls. After a few minutes' explanation, the two were playing again, picking up where Jay had left off. After about 20 minutes, a cutscene started. One of the main characters' love interest had been captured by the Zurgons, and the aliens were attempting to get information out of her, "Wow, this is so cliché." Jay whispered as the immaculate, blond, young lady obstinately refused to tell the aliens anything. The alien interrogating her replied that they had ways of making her talk (making Jay crack up), and another alien rolled a strange machine into the room. Her confidence somewhat lost, the girl demanded to know what it did. The aliens replied that it would read her mind, delivering all her secrets into their hands. The last thing they heard was her scream before the screen went black. Jay turned to Lloyd, about to mock the cheesiness of the game some more, but he froze when he saw the look on his brother's face. Lloyd was gripping his controller with so much force that his knuckles were white, and his expression was one of terror. "Hey… you okay?" the blue ninja asked in concern. The blond boy jumped at his voice, and turned towards him as tears began to well up in his eyes.

"I-I…" he stuttered, then dropped his controller and covered his face with his hands as he began to cry.

"Lloyd, what's wrong?" Quickly, Jay scooted over next to him, dropping his own controller as he put his hand on his shoulder.

"...M-Morro..." the green ninja whispered through his tears. "...h-he could read m-my thoughts... I-I couldn't even _think_ when he w-was p-possessing me... h-he..." Lloyd's sobs grew worse, and he gave up on talking and simply sobbed into his hands.

"Oh man, Lloyd, I'm so sorry..." the blue ninja scooted closer, wrapping his arms around his friend. "I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to remind you of him."

"...i-it's not your fault... y-you didn't know..."

"But I should have known. I should have been thinking about you. You don't deserve what's happened to you, you're still a kid."

"...M-Morro always s-said... h-he said I didn't deserve to b-be the g-green ninja... h-he said I should h-have l-let the Serpentine k-kill me before I-I ever g-got the ch-chance t-to be the g-green ninja..."

"That's stupid." Jay shook his head, hugging the blond boy tighter. "Lloyd, Morro was insane. He was so obsessed with being the green ninja that, when he failed, he went mad. Nothing he said means anything. And now he's dead. Right?"

"...r-right..."

"You don't need to be afraid of him, Lloyd. He can't hurt you anymore. He's gone. Right?"

"...right... b-but I... I-I'm still..." he trailed off, burying his face in Jay's shoulder.

"Still scared?"

"Y-yeah..."

"That's fine. Just give yourself some time. He hurt you physically, but he hurt you mentally worse. Just take it easy for a while."

"…o-okay…" the two were silent for a long time, Lloyd's shaking breathing relaxing gradually until he was calm again. "…I don't wanna play this game anymore…" the blond boy whispered at last.

"Course not. You don't have to. Do you want to go back to bed?"

"C-can you come w-with me?"

"Yeah, if you want. Just a minute." Jay slowly pulled away, leaving Lloyd on the couch as he put away the controllers and shut off the NJG-BOX and the TV. Once he was done, he gently took Lloyd by the wrist and led him back to his room, where they sat down on the green ninja's bed. The two had a long, whispered conversation, as they didn't want to wake the others, mostly about Starfarer and video games. After about ten minutes, Lloyd dozed off. Gently, so he didn't wake him up, Jay laid him down on his bed and pulled his blankets over him. Once the blond boy was settled, Jay climbed up to his own bed, yawning quietly. It was almost 1:45 AM. Pretty late, even for him. After a few, silent minutes, he dropped off to sleep as well.

* * *

 **Is this bad? It feels bad. :c**

 **~FFF**


	5. Misako

**so someone on tumblr declared this as Misako day so I thought this would be a good time to post this.**

 **however sibs are kicking me off so no review replies**

* * *

Not Alone- Misako

"Lloyd, look at this." Lloyd looked up at the sound of his mother's voice, and stood up to see what was so exciting about the scroll on the table in front of her. The other ninja were out at an awards ceremony for Nya, and Lloyd had volunteered to stay behind and watch over the Bounty while his mom attempted to decipher her scrolls. "I couldn't figure out this riddle before, because I thought the key was somewhere in a related scroll, but I recently obtained one that has just the passage I need! If my translation is correct, there could be a whole other category of-" she stopped when she noticed him staring boredly at the wall. "Lloyd? Are you listening?"

"No." the blond boy muttered sullenly.

"Please do, this is important. As I was saying, there could be a whole other category of-"

"I don't care, okay?!" Lloyd snapped, turning from the wall to glare at her. She looked up at him in shock.

"Lloyd, this is important for-"  
"Is it more important than Dad?!" Lloyd demanded. His mother's eyes widened, and she quickly shook her head.

"Lloyd, I-"  
"No! I don't want to hear it!" the green ninja yelled. "All you've done since Dad died is stare at those stupid scrolls! You don't even care about him!"

"Lloyd, let me-"

"No!" Lloyd spun around and stalked out of the room, stomping out onto the outer deck as angry tears welled up in his eyes. His anger at her had been building up for months, every time he had seen her with those scrolls he had gotten angrier and angrier. Finally he had gotten a chance to let it out. He stomped over to the railing and folded his arms on the wood, resting his chin on his arms as he stared out at the rolling hills below him. He had managed to force back the tears that had threatened to spill for now, but there was still a lump stuck in his throat. He stood there for about five minutes, thinking morbid thoughts, before he heard his mother's footsteps approaching from behind. "Go away." he muttered grumpily.

"No." His mother's voice was gentle, but firm. "You accused me of not loving my husband. I can't let that go."

"Well you _don't._ I've seen how you look at Sensei. You don't love Dad anymore. You love _him_."

"Lloyd, I love Wu like you love Kai, and Jay, and Zane, and Cole. He is my brother. My brother-in-law, actually, since I married your father. And I _do_ love your father. I love him very much. That's why I've been trying to get him back."

"W-what?" Lloyd stuttered, looking up at her in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"Like I was trying to tell you a few minutes ago, I may have discovered an entirely new category of _magic_. Light magic. Powerful magic. Magic so powerful, that it might be able to recreate an entire _realm_. Hopefully with all of its inhabitants." she smiled as her son's face lit up.

"Really?" he asked in shock.  
"Really."

"Th-that's amazing!" he stuttered, but his smile faded a moment later. "I... that's what you've been doing since Dad was sent to the Cursed Realm?"

"Before the incident with the Preeminent, I was trying to find a way to free him without having to sacrifice someone else. I didn't find anything. Ever since the Cursed Realm was apparently destroyed, though, I've been trying to find another way to bring him back."

"I thought... I thought you were ignoring him." Lloyd's voice was shaking. "I thought you were trying to forget about him."

"Oh Lloyd, I would never try to forget about him." his mother assured him. "I love your father so much. Even if I did want to, I could never forget him." the older woman reached forward and put a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry. I should have told you what I was working on before."

"I-it's my fault, I should have talked to you a-about it instead of j-just staying mad at you for so long." he chuckled weakly, but a tear escaped his eye and he quickly wiped it away. She noticed anyway.

"What's wrong?" she asked in concern.

"I-I just feel bad for yelling at you." he looked away, mumbling, "...and I miss Dad..."

"Oh honey..." his mom reached forward and pulled him into a hug, which he gratefully returned.

"I'm sorry..." he whispered as his tears flowed faster.

"It's fine. I know you're upset." his mother murmured gently. Lloyd buried his face in her shoulder, trying to stop the flow of tears. "It's already to cry." Mom assured him.

"...b-but... I'm s-supposed to be strong..."

"You are a child." she said firmly. "You are an 11-year-old boy, and if you need to cry, you should." Lloyd didn't answer, but nodded slightly.

"...y-you're embarrassing me, Mom..." he mumbled, a hint of playfulness in his voice.

"To whom? We're the only ones here." she chuckled softly. "You'll always be my little boy."

"Whyyyyyy..."

"Oh be quiet." she kissed his hair before pulling away. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Lloyd sniffled, wiping the tears off his face with his sleeve and smiling up at her. "Can I look at your research?"

"Of course!" his mom's face lit up, and the two of them went back inside to spend some quality time together.

* * *

 **yay**

 **~FFF**


	6. Cole

**So like**

 **I had another request for Cole with a different plot but I didn't remember all the details so I just wrote this thing**

 **sorry**

 **I'd do review replies but all of them are basically "Awwwwwww" so I'm just gonna say that's a popular opinion and go on with the story ;D**

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Not Alone – Cole

"Ahhhh, watch out! You're cornered!"

"Haha! Got you now!"

"You wanna bet on that, bluebell?"

"HEY! THAT'S CHEATING!"

"Says who?"

"THAT IS VERY OBVIOUSLY AGAINST THE RULES! THAT'S AN UNSPOKEN RULE!"

"Aw, be quiet, Jay." Cole grinned, running across the deck to a safe spot. The ninja were playing Ninjaball, their altered version of dodgeball in which they had changed the rules to make it more interesting. Jay had finally managed to corner Cole, the last one standing. However, when he had thrown the ball, the ghost ninja had simply let it go through him. As the redhead insisted repeatedly that it was in no way fair, the others laughed from where they sat on the floor. In the corner, Lloyd laughed too, but on the inside he felt really guilty. He felt bad every time he looked at Cole, or even thought about him. Because… it was his fault he was a ghost. When the others had told him the story of how he was turned into a cursed spirit, they had laughed at the irony of him being turned into something he feared, even Cole himself, but it had made Lloyd feel really bad. It was obviously his fault that they had to go into Yang's temple in the first place, since the only reason they had was to try to rescue him. If he had escaped when Morro had first possessed him, if he had fought harder when he first got the scroll… then Cole wouldn't be a ghost right now. It was his fault. But he couldn't tell them that. If they didn't realize it already, then he definitely wasn't going to tell them. He couldn't stand his brothers hating him on top of everything else going on. So he laughed with them, feeling empty and sad inside. With any luck, life would go on, and maybe, someday, this guilt would fade away.

But probably not.

"Hey Lloyd." Lloyd looked up from the book he was reading in the Bounty's living room to Cole walking towards him, stopping in front of the couch he sat on. "You've been looking kinda down lately. Is something wrong?" Oh. He noticed? How? He must be more transparent than he thought.

"Um…" he hesitated, shifting uneasily as he tried to decide whether or not to tell the truth. "…no, I'm fine."

"You look scared." Cole frowned, sitting down next to him. "Have you been having nightmares again?"

"No, it's not- it's nothing, it's-"

"Wait, is it me?" Cole's eyes widened, scooting away. "Is It because I'm a ghost? Am I reminding you of Morro? Should I-"

"No, no, it's not you!" Lloyd shook his head, cutting the earth ninja off. "I mean… it kinda is… b-but not like that!"

"Then what is it?" The blond boy shook his head again, pulling his knees up to his chest and hiding his face. "C'mon, Lloyd, what's wrong?" The green ninja hesitated before saying in a small voice,

"Promise you won't get mad."

"I promise." Lloyd was silent for a few moments before saying timidly,

"…you… you being a ghost is my fault."

"What? No it's not!" Cole argued instantly.

"Yes it is!" the blond boy insisted. "The only reason you went into Yang's haunted temple was to save me! If I hadn't been captured, you wouldn't've needed to!" He felt a lump growing in his throat, and his heart pounded as he waited to see if his brother was angry.

"Lloyd, no one forced us to rescue you. We did it because we love you. Besides, being a ghost isn't all bad. I can do basically everything I used to be able to, I just can't touch water, and I don't really mind that. It was kinda freaky at first, but I'm cool with it now." Cole stopped, and Lloyd looked up at him timidly.

"You're… not mad?" he asked, allowing a tinge of hope in his voice.

"'Course not. Why would I be?"

"I-I just thought... when I told you, y-you would realize it _was_ m-my fault and be mad at me…" he blond boy stuttered, hiding his face again.

"Aw, I could never be mad at you, Lloyd. You're like my little brother. I mean, like, if you ruined my cooking, like you did once when you were younger, then I'd be mad, but not _mad_ mad. I'd probably just, like, jump out at you and startle you and that would be the end of it." The ghost ninja rambled. "My point is, don't worry about it. It's not your fault I'm a ghost, and, even if it was, I'm fine with my new body." Lloyd felt Cole's comforting hand on his shoulder and smiled, shifting closer to the ghost as he lifted his head slightly.

"I'm glad you're not mad. At me…" he said in a small voice.

"Like I said, don't worry about it." The earth ninja wrapped an arm around his shoulders, pulling him up next to him and giving him a gentle squeeze. Lloyd smiled, looking up at the taller ninja.

"Thanks, Cole."

"No sweat." The black ninja grinned, squeezing him again before letting go. "C'mon, it's almost dinnertime. And I'm starving."

"You're always starving." The blond boy grinned, rolling his eyes. "But, honestly, I'm hungry too."

"Then off we go!" Cole hopped to his feet, waiting for Lloyd to follow suit before striding off towards the dining area. The green ninja followed, a smile on his face as he recalled what Cole had said to him. He was glad the earth ninja had pressured him into telling him what was wrong. And he was glad he was still his friend.

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 **less fluffy than normal but**

 **hope u enjoyed**

 **~FFF**


	7. Sensei Wu

**This was a popular request. And I know I got one with a specific story request, but I forgot when I started writing this so... sorry.**

 **...I don't think anyone noticed the Cole one. Did they?**

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Not Alone – Sensei Wu

"Breathe." Lloyd exhaled, trying to obey his Sensei's command. "Calmly." The older man added as the green ninja's breathing sped up again. "Lloyd, meditation is a process that will help you to relax. You need to stop thinking of unpleasant things."

"You told me to let my mind wander!" the blond boy defended himself, opening his eyes.

"To something you enjoy, not something you fear." The elderly man across from him shook his head. "I know Morro hurt you. But he is dead and gone. He cannot hurt you anymore."

"That obvious, huh?" Lloyd chuckled emotionlessly, staring down at the floor. "What's your definition of "gone"?"

"Not here, never to return."

"Maybe, but he still haunts me." It was true. In his everyday life, anything that reminded him of Morro would nearly make him panic. The ghost's name spoken on a TV or radio, darkness, many movies, and even his own green gi made him uneasy. He rarely went out in public, despite the fact that the media was suddenly more interested in him and the other ninja than ever before, and when he did he always had one of the others with him. Sensei Wu sighed.

"This is the reason I am trying to teach you to meditate. So you can overcome your anxiety."

"It's not working. It _won't_ work. This isn't something I can just get over, Sensei."

"So you expect to be like this forever?"

"I'm… sure I'll get over it at some point. But I can't just learn some mind trick and ignore it."

"You do not enjoy being so afraid, correct?"

"Of course I don't."

"Then let me try to help you. It is nothing more than a memory."

"It's not just a memory!" Lloyd snapped. "He tortured me! He locked me up, and hurt me, and taunted me for days on end! And I fought him until I was too weak to fight any longer! See this scar?!" the blond boy lifted his arm, yanking the sleeve down to his elbow to reveal a long, thin scar. "He gave this to me! After he lost the Sword of Sanctuary and we fell off the mountain, he blamed me, and he cut me to punish me! Then he dragged me through the snow for a mile before flying back to his base! I almost _died_! It's not just a memory. When I think about him, I can _hear_ his voice, and _feel_ his blows. It's not. Just. A memory." Angry tears brimmed in his eyes as he clenched his hands into fists, glaring at his uncle a few feet away. His sensei stared back at him, meeting his eyes with a sad gaze.

"I know." He said softly. "And it is all my fault."

"W-what?" Lloyd blinked, trying to force down the tears. "H-how is it your fault?"

"I was the one who raised him. How he turned out is my fault."

" _What?!_ "

"You did not know?" Uncle looks surprised. "I would have thought he would have told you, or that you would have at least seen it in his memories."

"H-he didn't tell me… and he wouldn't let me see his memories, h-he would punish me if I t-tried…"

"I did. I found him living on the streets, an orphan." Over the next few minutes, Sensei explained. By the end, Lloyd was having an even harder time holding the tears back. "Morro was like a son to me…" the older man trailed off for a moment, lowering his head. "And I turned him into a monster." Lloyd stared at him blankly, finally letting the tears trickle down his cheeks.

"It's n-not your fault." He whispered at last. "I-it was his fault he took it a-as hard as he did, y-you didn't make him…" Sensei didn't respond for a few moments, his head bowed. When he looked up, his eyes widened, and he quickly got to his feet, closing the gap between them before kneeling down in front of him.

"Lloyd, I'm sorry." He said softly. "I know Morro hurt you badly. And I know I've been acting like it wasn't important. I was only trying to help you heal. I see now that I failed. I'm sorry." With that, he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around him. Lloyd hugged him back, his tears flowing faster as he shook. His uncle hugged him tight, gently rocking him back and forth. The blond boy cried in his sensei's arms for a long time, the older man murmuring reassuring words to him from time to time. Finally, his tears slowed, then stopped, leaving him sniffling softly.

"S-Sensei…" he whispered after a few minutes. "Th-the others said… a-after Nya beat the Preeminent... you t-tried to save him."

"Yes…" Sensei sighed, rubbing his back gently. "Morro… as evil as he became, I still loved him like a son. If he had let me, I would have saved him."

"…"if he had let you"?"

"He let go of my hand. He gave me the Realm Crystal, then let the Preeminent drag him into the ocean. He wouldn't let me save him." Uncle's arms tightened around him slightly.

"Do you still miss him?" The blond boy asked softly. Sensei was silent for a long time. Finally, he answered,

"Yes. I would give almost anything to have him back." Lloyd was silent, and he continued. "In the end, I believe he changed. He knew he had done wrong. He thought that he was beyond saving. If he had let me save him… I think he would have changed." Lloyd was quiet for a few moments, contemplating this. If Uncle had saved Morro, and then he had changed, would he be able to forgive him? Maybe. It didn't matter. He was dead, and he wasn't coming back. The blond boy buried his face in Sensei's shoulder again, staying there for a long time. When he finally pulled away, he was surprised to see that Uncle's eyes brimmed with tears as well. The green ninja leaned forward and hugged him again, this time to comfort him instead of being comforted himself. The two stayed there on the floor of the dojo for a long time, wrapped in each other's arms. Finally, Sensei stood, pulling Lloyd with him. "Come," he said softly. "It is late. You and I should both get some rest." The blond boy nodded, not quite trusting himself to speak past the lump in his throat. Taking him by the hand, Uncle lead him through the hallways of the bounty to his room, where the others were already asleep. "Goodnight, Lloyd." Sensei said softly as Lloyd lay down on his mattress on the floor. The green ninja gave him a wavering smile as the older man turned on a lamp in the corner of the room, then left, closing the door behind him. The blond boy exhaled shakily, staring into the small light in the corner. The others had teased him a bit about needing a nightlight to sleep, but had stopped when they saw how scared he was to sleep in the dark. The soft, orange glow of the lamp helped to distract him from all his memories of being imprisoned in darkness. Was Sensei right in that meditation could help him heal? He didn't think so. But he had to do something. Sensei was right, he couldn't let Morro hurt him even after he was dead. If, somewhere, his consciousness still existed, he couldn't give him the satisfaction. After what must have been hours of staring into the light, Lloyd finally dropped off to sleep.

* * *

 **I think lloyd rage quit.**

 **So, if you've read Return to the Cursed Realm, remember at the beginning where Lloyd is like, "Hey, look, it's the guy who kidnapped me and tortured me! I think I'll give him an apple and we can be BFFS!" That's a little unrealistic. So I'm rewriting the first few chapters. Not the whole thing, because that would take _forever_ , but the first 5 or 6 chapters at least. And I'll probably be releasing them all at once so it makes sense. So check for that in like a week or so.**

 **Hope you all are having a good week!**

 **~FFF**


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